Beautiful Soul
by niidqethjot
Summary: "You have the heart of a chief, but the soul of a dragon."


_A/N: I would like to start off by apologizing for this. I watched the trailer and this idea just wouldn't go away. Contains spoilers for the new HTTYD 2 trailer. Also, it makes more sense if you've played Skyrim._

* * *

The first time it happened, he was a mere infant in his mother's arms.

The dragon raid that rained down on Berk was one of the largest the village had ever seen. Warriors ran to and fro trying to deal with as many of the beasts as possible, but it was no use. They just kept coming. Eventually the order was given for all those unable to fight to evacuate the village and head towards the safe sanctuary in the forest.

Valka wanted nothing more than to stay and fight alongside her husband, but she could no longer afford to be so selfish. Not with a son of less than a year to worry about. So with a heavy heart, she placed Hiccup into a holder on her back, and began to lead the others to safety.

However, safety was impossible that day. As her group drew nearer to the sanctuary, they were ambushed by a Monstrous Nightmare, causing everyone to scatter. As the wife of the chief, Valka knew that she had to protect her people. So without a second thought, she sliced at the dragon with the sword on her hip and began to lead it away from the crowd, too engulfed in her task to notice the wails of the infant on her back.

She didn't slow as she darted through the trees with the Nightmare mere steps behind her. Only when she came to a rock wall did she pause. She had run straight into a dead end. It was just as well, she was far enough away from the others now; no more running, it was time to end this.

Her stony resolve was cracked by the sound of a small hiccup on her back. She had forgotten that she wasn't alone.

As the Monstrous Nightmare burst through the trees in an explosion of flames, Valka turned to face the creature with only one thought: protect her son.

The battle was fierce but brief. Valka was one of Berk's toughest warriors, and even with an infant on her back she still made short work of the dragon. When the beast fell for the last time, she was finally able to pull out her son and hold him in her arms, trying to still his crying and make sure he was alright. The day had been long and hard, but it was nothing too out of the ordinary for Berk.

Except for the fact that the Nightmare continued to flame even in death.

As the fire completely engulfed the dragon's body, Valka saw its flesh start to flake away and turn into swirling tendrils of light. The ribbons swarmed around her and Hiccup, causing her to shield her face against the brightness. Hiccup on the other hand was enraptured, eyes as wide as the moon above as the light continued to dance around them.

As Valka looked down at the babe in her arms, she realized that the tendrils of light were concentrating on her son, seemingly being absorbed by him. Moments later, they vanished and an oppressive silence hung around them. All that remained of the Monstrous Nightmare she had slain was a horrific skeleton.

Valka knew the stories, told around the hearth in the homelands that she had run away from all those years ago. She knew what it meant for her son. But superstition ran deep in Berk, and if they knew, who could guess what they would do to him.

That was why, for Hiccup's sake, when she saw her husband again after the raid had finished, she told him nothing of what had happened. All she said was, "He is never to go outside during a dragon raid again."

Years passed, and Valka vanished, but Stoick tried the best that he could to keep his promise.

* * *

The second time it happened, nobody even noticed.

Hiccup gripped the saddle with white knuckles as he and Toothless tried to stay ahead of the flames that threatened to engulf them. He pressed furiously on the foot pedal that he knew was useless. Still, he needed to see for himself.

He turned around just in time to see the tailfin he had made flutter off into the inferno behind them. Then turned around again just in time to the bludgeon of a tail that he was sure meant the end for both of them. As he was thrown from Toothless's back, he lost consciousness and knew nothing of what transpired afterwards.

He didn't see the flames closing in on him. He didn't see his best friend frantically trying to get to him. He certainly didn't see the remains of the Red Death start to flake away and turn into bright lights.

Neither did any of the villagers standing far away. The explosion was too large and the ash clouds too thick for them to make out anything that occurred.

If Toothless saw he didn't understand. His only thought was of saving his human companion.

As the smoke cleared and Hiccup was found to have survived, dragons and Vikings alike celebrated. The war that had raged for close to 300 years between them had finally been brought to an end by a boy and his dragon. In the excitement and relief of their success, no one noticed that nothing of the Red Death remained besides its bones.

* * *

As Hiccup walked through the safe haven his mother had made for the dragons she rescued, he was in complete awe. It was enormous, and he knew that he could walk for ages and never truly see it all. He had already been there several days and he still found new things every time he walked around.

He continued to meander through the overgrowth by himself, thankful for the quiet he could get before what he knew was to come. He spotted some vines up ahead, and pushed them aside to reveal a pathway he hadn't seen yet. As he peered down the dimly lit path, it could have been his imagination, but he swore he heard a faint drumming. Excited to see what new sights he could find, he pressed onward, eventually coming to a stone wall with strange markings on it. It almost looked like a great beast had carved them with its claws.

He moved closer to get a better look, when suddenly the markings began to glow. Blue light seemed to pour from the grooves in the rock and began to swirl around him. A sudden chill traveled up his spine. His vision blurred and he stumbled backwards as the drumming he had heard before became louder and more bombastic.

With one final crescendo, the light faded and his vision returned. He knelt there in front of the wall, shaking and panting, trying to comprehend what had just happened.

Words. The markings were words. Three words to be exact. He didn't know how he knew that, but he was certain of it. His mind turned back towards his mother. This was her sanctuary; surely she must know what these mysterious words were.

He ran back the way he came. His entire tribe, including his mother, was in the main room preparing. He searched frantically for her, finally spotting her along the wall with his father and Toothless. He was frantic by the time he reached her, but tried to sound calm. When he mentioned the wall with strange words on it, her eyes became so very sad. She opened her mouth to say something, but was cut off by the sound of war horns.

Drago was here.

Hiccup pushed aside his questions, his worries, his fears, and focused on the issue at hand. The word wall would have to wait. He told his mother they would talk afterwards and went to hop onto Toothless's back.

Before he could, though, his mother placed her hands around his face. She looked at him with her sad eyes, and left his with the parting words, "You have the heart of a chief, but the soul of a dragon."

* * *

The third time it happened was the day his world ended.

The battle was at its peak, and both sides were taking heavy losses. Drago's Bewilderbeast left nothing in its wake except for giant ruins of ice, and their own Bewilderbeast was down for the count. If they didn't stop that creature soon, the battle would be lost.

Toothless's tailfin was frozen beyond usability, so he and Hiccup were grounded. They did what fighting they could from the ground, but they knew they were needed in the skies. Drago knew that as well. The madman had had enough of the interference of the two of them and decided it was time to put an end to it once and for all.

Hiccup and Toothless never even saw him come up behind them as they attempted to deal with other members of his army. With one sickening swing of his axe, Hiccup's entire world came to a shuddering halt.

He collapsed on the ground on top of the now still body of his best friend- his soulmate- as Drago stood over him relishing in his anguish. If the battle continued around him, Hiccup didn't notice, for all he could hear was a deafening ringing in his ears. He didn't notice Drago take a step back, didn't see the look of fear overtake his features. He barely even registered when Toothless's body began to smolder. It was only when the flakes of scales turned into ribbons of light that Hiccup paused his grief.

It was like the words on the wall earlier, but while that had left him feeling cold, the embrace of these strands of light was warm, and somehow familiar. Like it had happened before in a dream. The lights continued to swirl around him, and he felt a weight settle in his chest, sad but comforting. As the lights faded, the weight remained.

Drago stood across from him, too stunned to make a move. Hiccup met his eyes and felt the fury well up inside him. In that moment, he didn't know why, and he didn't know how, but he understood what that weight in his chest was; he understood what his mother had meant; and he understood what those words on the wall were. He knew what he had to do.

As Drago recovered and started to come at him, Hiccup calmly took a deep breath.

_**FUS**_

_**RO**_

_**DAH!**_


End file.
